


Prodigy: Phone Home

by Adrianna99



Series: Prodigies [3]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Orchestra, Anxiety, Clarinetist!Phichit, M/M, Phone calls home, Prodigy Universe, Violinist!Viktor, Violist!Yuuri
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-06
Updated: 2017-10-06
Packaged: 2019-01-09 15:17:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12279114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adrianna99/pseuds/Adrianna99
Summary: When Yuuri faces an important decision that could change the course of his career, he decides to phone his family back in Japan for advice.





	Prodigy: Phone Home

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short "extra" from my multi chap, [Prodigy,](https://archiveofourown.org/works/11633220/chapters/26162442) during Chapter 3. This is long overdue, but I'm also an A++ procrastinator. This probably won't make sense if you're not familiar with Prodigy, but read if you want, I guess. Enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing

Phichit didn't say anything about Viktor's offer until he and Yuuri got back to the hotel. As soon as the door closed behind them, he started, "Yuuri-"

"I know, Phichit," Yuuri said, sitting down on the bed and tangling his fingers in his hair.

Phichit gingerly sat next to him, and put a hand on his shoulder.Yuuri realized he was trembling, shaking, overwhelmed.He had barely managed to keep it together at the bar, and now the buzz of alcohol was wearing off.

"Talk to me," Phichit requested quietly.

"I don't know what to think," Yuuri muttered.He tugged at his hair, wincing at the pain.Phichit began to rub small circled between his shoulder blades, probably sensing that he was on the verge of a breakdown.Yuuri's breathing quickened, and Phichit gently untangled his fingers from his hair.

"Listen," he said, looking Yuuri in the eye."Whatever you choose, I'll totally back you up.If you want to accept Nikiforov's offer, I'm with your, but if you want him to get lost I'll gladly beat him up for you."

Yuuri smiled weakly."Thanks," he said.

Phichit grinned back."Of course."

Yuuri looked down at his hands, sighing."I don't know what I want," he admitted, clenching his fists to stop his hands from shaking.

"What are you thinking?" Phichit asked calmly.

"I..." Yuuri picked at his fingernails."I don't know what to think," he said again."I sort of want to take him up on his offer for help.I mean, he's my idol, I've admired him for years.But what if I mess up?What if I humiliate myself in front of him?What if I fail him?"

Phichit frowned."You aren't offended?"

Yuuri didn't look up."Why would I be offended?" he asked softly.

Phichit hesitated, and then murmured, "You are an established, successful professional.You're not offended that he's randomly found you and is acting like you can't do anything on your own?I bet you could win the ICC without his help!"

Yuuri shook his head vehemently."Phichit, you and I both know I couldn't," he murmured."I didn't even qualify for qualifiers last year!There's no way I could do it on my own.But with Viktor's help... Well, I'm sure there's a reason he's the five time winner of the ICC.He might be the _only_ one who would be able to help me."

Phichit eyed him."If you're so sure, then, what's holding you back?" he asked."He gave you his number.Why not call back?"

Yuuri flinched visibly."Phichit, no," he muttered, wrapping his arms around himself."I couldn't!I can't just call him!"

Phichit resumed rubbing his back."He might be a talented musician, but he's also a human being, Yuuri," he said quietly."And besides, I really think he likes you-"

"It's the talented musician part in worried about," Yuuri interrupted, burying his face in his hands."Phichit, I already know I'm going to fail.What's the point in humiliating myself?"

"How could you possibly know the results?" Phichit asked with a frown.

Yuuri just looked up at him."I know," he said ominously.

Phichit rested a hand on Yuuri's shoulder."That's your anxiety talking," he said softly."Please, Yuuri, if this is an opportunity you want to take, you should do it.I'll be with you the whole time."

"I know," Yuuri said with a nod.He flexed his fingers, string down at the back of his hands."I want to, Phichit, I really think I do," he said."I'm just not sure I _can_."

Phichit sighed."Maybe you should sleep on it, then," he said."Are you planning on calling your family before going to bed?"

Yuuri made a face."It's not even six AM in Japan," he said.

Phichit raised an eyebrow."Didn't you promise you would?" he pointed out."Besides, I know how early your family gets up.I saw your sister up at five the one time I came to stay at the onsen."

Yuuri raised an eyebrow."That was two years ago, how do you remember that?"Maybe if he changed the subject, his friend would forget what he wanted Yuuri to do.

Phichit shrugged."Your sister scares me."Yuuri rolled his eyes."Don't change the subject," Phichit said sternly."You should call your family.I know for a fact they would want to know how your concert went.And you should tell them about Viktor's offer as well.”

“I don’t know,” Yuuri said hesitantly.

“Come on,” Phichit wheedled.“Don’t you think it would be a good idea to get some outside advice?”

Yuuri bit his lip, hard.“My parents don’t know much about being a musician,” he said doubtfully.“I don’t know if they could really help.”

“You don’t need music advice, Yuuri,” Phichit said wisely.“You need life advice.”

“Gee, thanks, Phichit-kun,” Yuuri said, rolling his eyes.

Phichit gave him an uncharacteristically serious look.“Your mom knows what she’s talking about,” he said.“I know that she’s given you good advice before when you needed it.”

Yuuri looked down at his hands, sighing.“Yeah, alright,” he said.“I’ll call.But I’m blaming you if my sister yells at me for waking her up.”

“If that will make you feel better,” Phichit said with an indulgent grin.Yuuri grabbed his phone from the table by the bed and stared down at it.He took a deep breath, and then unlocked it and dialed his family’s inn before he could talk himself out of it.

Mari picked up on the third ring with a gruff, “Is everything alright, Yuuri?”

“H-hi,” Yuuri stammered, fist clenching nervously in his lap.Phichit put an arm around his shoulder, and Yuuri gratefully leaned against his friend.

“Hi,” Mari said.“Do you want me to get mom?What’s going on?”

“Is it a bad time?” Yuuri said nervously.“I wasn’t sure if you would be awake yet.Nothing’s wrong, I just… haven’t talked to you guys in a while.”

Mari’s tone softened.“It’s good to hear from you, Yuuri,” she said.“I’ll go get mom and dad.”Yuuri listened with a tiny smile as he heard Mari’s footsteps, and then her muffled voice talking to his parents.After a long moment there was a click, and then Mari said, “You’re on speaker, Yuuri.”

“Yuuri!” Hiroko exclaimed.“It’s lovely to hear from you.”

“Hi, mama,” Yuuri said softly.“It’s nice to hear your voice as well.”

“How’s your career going?” Toshiya asked cheerfully.

Yuuri bit his lip.“It’s… it’s going,” he said.“I had a concert today, actually.”

“How was it?” Toshiya asked.“Anything to report back to Minako?”

“No, no!” Yuuri exclaimed.“I, um… Phichit said it went alright.”Phichit, hearing his name, looked down at Yuuri, but didn’t interrupt.

“That’s good, dear,” Hiroko said fondly.

“When are you coming back to Japan, Yuuri?” Mari asked.

“I’m not sure,” Yuuri said in a low voice, shrinking in on himself.The way Mari asked that question, almost like an accusation, made him feel guilty.He knew he had all but abandoned his family for the sake of his career as a musician.He didn’t want to be reminded about it all the time, though.It just made him feel worse.

“Are you doing that big music competition?” Mari asked.

“I- I don’t know,” Yuuri mumbled.

Hiroko made a noise of surprise.“That’s the first time I’ve ever heard you express interest, Yuuri,” she said.

Yuuri winced.He had wanted to try for the ICC the year previous, but he hadn’t scored high enough in any competition to even get into the qualifiers.He had been so ashamed that he hadn’t told anyone but Phichit, who he knew wouldn’t judge him.“Yeah,” he murmured.

“Do you really think you’re going for it?” Mari asked, sounding more excited than Yuuri had expected.

Yuuri was quiet for a long moment.“I’m not sure,” he finally answered.“I… I got an odd offer today about  the ICC, actually.”

“What was that?” Hiroko asked.

Yuuri took a deep breath, and then blurted, “Viktor Nikiforov offered to help me win the International Concerto Competition.”

“Viktor Nikiforov!” Mari shouted, incredulous.

“Isn’t that the musician Yuuri has posters of in his room?" Toshiya asked calmly.Yuuri squeaked indignantly.

“Yeah, it is,” Mari answered for him.“Yuuri, what does _Viktor Nikiforov_ want with _you?”_

“I don’t know!” Yuuri cried.He took a deep breath, and then said, “After my concert today, he caught Phichit and I just as we were leaving, and asked if we wanted t get a drink with him.Once we were at a bar, he said that he thought I should go for first place at the ICC, and that he thought I could win if he helped me.I, um… I sort of freaked out after that and Phichit and I left, but I… I don’t know if he was joking or not.”

“I don’t know why he’d be joking, dear,” Hiroko said kindly.“You’re a lovely musician.I’m sure you could win this competition if you really wanted to.”

“That’s the thing,” Yuuri whispered.“Viktor Nikiforov seems to have more confidence in me than I do.”

“What have you decided?” Toshiya asked.

“I… I haven’t decided yet,” Yuuri admitted softly.“I don’t know what to do.”

“Whatever you choose, dear, we’ll support you,” Hiroko said kindly.“Come visit soon, alright?”

“Of course,” Yuuri said with a nod.

“Bye, Yuuri,” Hiroko said, and Toshiya echoed her before Mari said in a slightly louder voice, “Alright, Yuuri, you’re off speaker.”Yuuri could hear the faint sounds of her walking somewhere, and then she said, “You’d be an idiot to pass this chance up.”

“What?” Yuuri stammered, surprised.

“You heard me,” Mari said flatly.Yuuri heard a door close on her side, and then his sister sighed.“Yuuri, listen,” she said.“I know how much you idolize Nikiforov.I kinda do to, because of you.It’s clear you really admire him as a musician and as a person, so why shouldn’t you take his offer?He’s literally offering to help you win the most prestigious musical competition in the world, even I know that, and you’re thinking about saying no?Yuuri, what’s the worst that could happen?”

“I could humiliate myself,” Yuuri whispered miserably.“I could make a complete fool of myself in front of a musician I really admire.I could fail him.”

Mari’s sigh echoed through the phone. “Yuuri, I know there’s not anything I could say to overcome your anxiety,” she said softly.“But I _do_ know you.And I know you would regret it for the rest of your life if you let this chance slip through your fingers.”Mari huffed a breath, and then said something in a muffled voice to someone on her end of the line.“Sorry, Yuuri,” she said after a moment.“I have to go.Listen to mama, alright?Come visit soon.”

“Thanks, Mari,” Yuuri rasped, and Mari hummed an acknowledgement before hanging up.

“What did they say?” Phichit asked, hand on Yuuri’s shoulder.

“My family thinks I should take Viktor’s offer,” he replied tonelessly.He was tired, and just wanted to go to bed.“They think I’ll regret it if I don’t.”

“That might very well be true,” Phichit answered softly.He gave his best friend a hug, and then murmured, “I know you don’t like taking chances, Yuuri.I know how nervous it makes you.But if you really think you could do it… maybe just this once, it’s worth the risk.”

Yuuri didn’t say anything.

But the next morning he sent a text to Viktor.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be back with Prodigy on Monday! Feel free to comment/ask questions if you have any or talk to me [here](https://iwritebetterthanispeak.tumblr.com/), and have a fabulous day, dear reader!


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